


You Really Suck at Being a Monster

by butterfly_gARDEN



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Season/Series 04, middle or after season 5? maybe?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:00:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24571948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterfly_gARDEN/pseuds/butterfly_gARDEN
Summary: Lucifer discovers a body behind Lux. As Dan and Chloe meet with him, they have a temporary diversion.
Relationships: established Deckerstar - Relationship
Comments: 14
Kudos: 95





	You Really Suck at Being a Monster

**Author's Note:**

  * For [For all the Addison Baileys of the world](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=For+all+the+Addison+Baileys+of+the+world).



> This work touches on the topic of domestic violence, although none is depicted. If you are uncomfortable with this topic, please skip this story.

As expected, Detective Chloe Decker and her ex husband, Detective Dan Espinosa arrived at 8:00 am at prestigious nightclub, Lux, and were ushered into the office in the rear of the building. Club owner Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe’s civilian consultant partner, sat at his desk, but quickly stood up when the two officer approached, with a smile on his face.

Good morning, Detective!” he said, “Douche,” he added.

Quickly, he placed his beloved detective’s mocchiato in front of her, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“Thanks,” she smiled.

“Coffee. Daniel?” Lucifer asked, ever the genteel host.

“I’m good, thanks, Lucifer,” said Dan, holding up his travel mug.

Dan opened up his notepad, and began, “So, okay, official statement Lucifer,” Lucifer nodded. “When did you discover the body?”

“3:15 this morning, according to my cell phone. I had just parked my car when I received a text. I took my phone out to check it when I saw a dark figure moving down the alley. I walked over to see what was going on, and that’s when I found him...or, what was left of him.”

“Who texts at 3:15 in the morning?” Dan asked increduously.

“Why...everyone, of course,” replied Lucifer, “Even the Detective has done so if we’re in the middle of a case.”

Dan just shook his head. This guy, man…” Were you able to get a look at the person you saw moving?”

“No, unfortunately, he or she was walking away. I ran after them, of course, but they had disappeared before I could catch up. The alley is very poorly lit, and-Addison?” Lucifer called out. “Excuse me, Daniel.”

Lucifer jumped up and ran to the door. “Addison? Come here, please.”

The two detectives turned toward the door and saw a petite blonde woman walking up to Lucifer with her head down.

“Addie? Look at me,” said Lucifer, very gently. “Addison? Look at me.”

Reluctantly, Addie looked up at her employer. Her right eye was swollen shut, the bruise on her cheek went from her eye all the way down to her chin, and there were horrific bruises around her neck. You didn’t need to be a detective to know what caused those injuries.

“Who did this to you, Addison?” Lucifer asked, placing his fingers under her chin and tipping her face up to him. After a moment, Lucifer asked her again but in a much firmer voice, “Addison, who did this to you?”

By this time, the woman had begun crying, “Nathan did. He’s never been like that before. I mean, he always hits me, but this time it was different. He, like, totally lost it, I don’t know what he was on this time.”

“And Nathan is…?” Lucifer looked at her.

“My boyfriend. The guy I live with? Last week, he was so happy ‘cause we found out I was pregnant, and then last night, he just-”

“BEAT UP THE MOTHER OF HIS CHILD?” shouted Lucifer. “No, nonononono. This can’t happen. Detectives? We need you to-”

“No!” Addison backed up, wildeyed. “No police. The last time the police were involved he almost killed me.”

“Addie?” Chloe said, gently. “We can protect you, I promise.”

“NO! And no restraining orders, either! It didn’t help Lilly. It got her killed.” Addie was almost in hysterics.

Lucifer took a deep breath. “Addie, how long has this been going on?”

“A few years after we got together, so...I don’t know, six years? It's when he started getting into drugs.”

“Six years?” Lucifer looked aghast. “Addie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I never saw any bruises on your body, and you never said anything.”

“H-he always knew where to hit me,” she said, “You know, so the bruises wouldn’t show? But like I said, last night was different. And,” she looked at Lucifer, "I never talk about it. I'm kinda scared to talk about it, really."

“Addison, why would you let someone do that to you?” asked Lucifer, gently.

“My mom? She kicked me out when I was sixteen. [Lucifer winced. It a pain that was far too familiar to him, personally.] She said I was useless and wouldn’t amount to anything and she didn’t want me around anymore. Nathan, he was real nice at first, you know? He said I could stay with him. So, I moved in, finished high school, got a loan, and went to community college. I learned accounting, and you hired me as a bookkeeper. But then Nathan? He said I owed him because he took me in.”

“And what happened last night?”

“He didn’t like the dinner I made. I mean, I thought I was making something special, you know? I roasted a chicken, I made my own gravy, I made mashed potatoes, I even bought fresh asparagus at the market, and he got real mad. He said we didn’t have money to waste on stupid romantic dinners and I had no right. He threw everything on the floor and then,…” she sounded so brokenhearted. If she hadn’t been crying so hard, she would have seen the red glow in her boss’s eyes.

“I pay you very well, Addison. Where does the money go? Does this dullard even have a job?”

“He did when we first got together, but he quit when I started working here. Said he’d done enough and it was my turn. He just does drugs-a lot of drugs-and watches TV or plays video games, then gets mad ‘cause the apartment is a mess and he beats me ‘cause I didn’t clean it.”

Lucifer stepped forward and put his arms around the tiny bookkeeper. Rocking her gently he said, “Addie, this won’t do. Do you know what the leading cause of death is for pregnant women?”

“No. Like, complications, I guess?”

“No, Dear. Homicide. More women are killed by their spouses or partners while pregnant than by medical complications. Did you think Lacy Peterson was the only pregnant woman killed by her spouse? No. She was the one who made the headlines. She was the one who created the public awareness. Addie, you have to get out of there.”

“I can’t!” she gasped. “I tried to leave once. He found me, and broke the door down to get me. He dragged me out by my hair and told me that if I ever tried to leave him again he’d hunt me down and kill me.”

Chloe looked at Lucifer and noted that every muscle in his body was tense.

“Addie? What’s your boyfriend’s name?” she asked.

“Nathan Henderson. But you can’t go after him. I’m pregnant. If he hurts me, he’ll hurt the baby. Please, promise me you won’t,” Addie cried.

Lucifer took a deep breath and said once again, “Addie, you have to get out of there.”

Addison shook her head. “I can’t. I have nowhere to go. My family wants nothing to do with me unless they need money, and my friend Lena? She’s got kids. I don’t want her or the kids to get hurt because of me.”

“Addison, do you trust me?” asked Lucifer.

“I-yeah, Boss, of course I trust you.” she replied. She did. Lucifer was very good to his employees, was KNOWN to be very good to his employees.

“Addison, I’m going to make a deal with you.” Addison took a breath. She was all too familiar with her boss’s deals. “I will keep you safe, but in return, your life in L.A. is over. Do you understand? You must agree to sever all ties. Delete your social media. Delete your contacts. Do you agree to my terms?”

Addison looked over at the two detectives, still seated in Lucifer’s office.

“Trust him,” said Chloe with a gentle smile. “I promise you, you can trust him with your life. I have. More than once. He's never failed me.”

Addie looked at Chloe's face, “I agree.” she said.

At once, Lucifer took out his cellphone. “Karen? Are you in yet, Love? Lovely. Would you come to the office a minute? Thank you, Dear.”

After a few moments, a thirtyish year old woman with pink-tipped hair knocked on the open door and walked in.

“Ah! Karen, very good!” said Lucifer.

“So, the manager wants to speak to KAREN?” she asked with a smirk.

Lucifer laughed and said, “Yes, Love, Addison needs a new look.” Lucifer looked at his bookkeeper, and continued, “I’m thinking...strawberry blonde, and...something framing her face? Addison, do you wear glasses?”

“I have glasses, but I usually wear contact lenses,” she answered.

“Now, you wear glasses,” Lucifer said, firmly. Addie nodded and retrieved her glasses from her office.

“Good. Go with Karen, she’ll fix you up.”

Thanks, Boss,” she said, and dutifully followed Karen out the door.

Dan looked at Lucifer, “You have a hairdresser on staff?”

“Yes, of course. That’s a work expense. You don’t expect my employees to pay for their own hairstyles, do you?”

Lucifer then continued. “I’m so sorry, I have to make some arrangements. Did you two want to come back later?”

“No, that’s okay, Lucifer, we can wait,” replied Chloe. Dan walked outside to check up on the crime scene, and Chloe began some preliminary paperwork.

Setting herself up in Addison’s office across the hall, she could hear Lucifer putting a plan in action.

“Yes, good morning. This is Lucifer Morningstar. May I speak to Jared Thompson, please? Jared! Good morning. I’m well, sir, and you? Good. Listen, I’m going to need to call in that favor. I have a young woman who…” Lucifer shut the door.

In an hour, Dan was back, and the back rooms of Lux were brimming with activity. Addie, now a tiny little strawberry blonde with a cute bob hair style and horn-rimmed glasses knocked on Lucifer’s door. He took her into another room, and Chloe saw a man with a Department of Motor Vehicles name tag and a duffle bag filled with equipment walk toward the room where Addie and Lucifer were. Chloe and Dan went to investigate.

“Addison. We need to change your name. Any ideas?” Lucifer asked.

“No, not really. I really liked being called Addie.”

“How about Adele or Adelaide?” Lucifer suggested. “Then you could still be called Addie.”

“My Gramma’s name was Adelaide,” said Addie, softly. “I really loved her. I miss her every day. We were real close. She was the only one in my family who was nice to me.”

“Adelaide it is, then,” smiled Lucifer. “And for a surname?”

Without hesitation, Addie responded, “Morgenstern.”

Lucifer’s eyes watered. Quickly he turned his head and cleared his throat before turning back and smiling, tenderly at the little bookkeeper.

“Morgenstern,” he said, nodding to the DMV employee.

Dan looked at Chloe, eyebrows raised. “It’s German for morning star,” she said. Dan nodded.

A quick photo later, and Addie had a new license with a Reno, Nevada address. Chloe turned around, and realized that another gentleman was standing behind them.

“Henry! Good morning!” Lucifer and the man shook hands. The man entered the room as the DMV employee left, exchanging handshakes and goodbyes with Lucifer. This man was a federal worker of some sort. In a matter of minutes, Addie had an updated notarized birth certificate, and new social security card. Another farewell, another handshake, and the man left as silently as he had entered.

Everyone then went back into Lucifer’s office. Once there, Lucifer went to a large safe in the corner of the room. Opening it, he took out a new cell phone. He activated it, then entered some contact information.

Handing it to Addie, he said, “Let me have your phone, please, Addison.” He removed the SIM card and ran it through the shredder before throwing the phone away. Addie’s old I.d. cards and store reward cards met the same fate.

“This is your new phone, Addie. You are now on my phone plan. Keep your GPS tracker off at all times. The only two numbers you need right now are in your contacts. My number, of course, and the number for a man named Jared Thompson. Jared has a bookkeeping job lined up for you in Reno. He also has a condo for you. Call him as soon as you get to Reno, he’s expecting to hear from you. I expect regular updates from you. Do you understand?”

Addie nodded as she took the phone and put it in her purse.

Lucifer then stuck his head out the door.

“Robert? Are you busy?”

“Wassup, Boss?”

“Robert, I need you to drive Addie to this address in Reno. There’s overtime built into your shift today.”

Lucifer tossed Robert a set of keys, who went off to get the car they were taking.

“Addie, here, you’ll need this,” said Lucifer. The DMV employee had printed out a Nevada registration and Title to an automobile. Lucifer handed her the keys.

“This car will be waiting for you at the condo.”

“Addison Bailey, you no longer exist. Your life in L.A. no longer exists. You no longer exist on social media. Do not call your friends; you no longer have any in L.A. Do not call your family; they don’t deserve you.” Lucifer then produced a briefcase. Turning back to his safe, he removed several bundles of bills and placed it inside, along with all Addie’s paperwork. “Go. Be safe, Love, and call me if you need ANYTHING.”

Lucifer hugged Addie, who was now in tears again over what her boss had done for her, then walked her to the back entrance where Robert was waiting.

“Holy shit, what just happened?” Dan asked Chloe.

“I told you he wasn’t evil,” Chloe replied.

“I’m so sorry, Daniel, where were we?” asked Lucifer as he reentered the room.

“Wow, man, that was...wow! Was that even legal? I mean, I don’t care, that was...wow. Do you do that a lot?” asked Dan.

“I do it more than I should have to,” Lucifer replied tersely.

“Lucifer-” Chloe began before he interrupted her.

“Do you remember the conversation we had when we first met, Detective? The night Delilah was murdered in front of my club?” he asked somberly.

“Uh, I asked you if you liked to play cop, and you told me you liked to play in general...you ended up asking me what my corrupt little organization was going to do about Delilah’s murder…”

“Did you ever wonder why I phrased it that way?”

“No,” she answered, “Frankly, I was so put off by you, I never thought about it. I thought you were a dick.”

Lucifer chuckled at what she said, but quickly became serious. “I had been in L.A. for about five years before I met you. In that time, two of my employees were killed by domestic violence.” Lucifer took a moment to compose himself. “One of my dancers was strangled by her husband because he came home late from work and his dinner was cold. One of my waitresses, Lilly, the one that Addie mentioned earlier, was gunned down in front of the bar right here by her boyfriend.”

Dan winced. He actually had worked that case with Malcolm Graham when his partner, Joey Paolucci was on vacation. Because he was working with Malcolm, the boyfriend had “fallen down” a few times after he had been taken into custody, Dan recalled.

Lucifer continued, “They had called the police numerous times, and you know what the police did? Nothing. The cops who responded said they couldn’t do anything without a restraining order, unless the women wanted to press charges. Oh sure, they’d call an ambulance, if one was needed, but they wouldn’t do anything else, even though laws had obviously been broken. One detective,” he looked directly at Chloe, “Who you later pointed out to me as Joey Paolucci when we had our unfortunate encounter, even went as far as to tell Lilly that she was the problem. Pretty much told her to service her boyfriend better and she wouldn’t get hit.”

“Lilly went to court and obtained a restraining order, which is a useless piece of paper, if you ask me. That evening, that vile miscreant came to Lux and shot her down in cold blood. In front of everyone. In MY home."

Lucifer glared. “It was not until I met you, Detective, that my opinion of the LAPD began to change, but in the meantime, I began helping these women myself.”

The silence was awkward. Eventually, Dan cleared his throat and started to speak, “Hey, man, I get it. The laws concerning domestic violence are weak. But we-”

“Sir, we’re not open! Sir? You need to leave,” they heard one of Lucifer’s employees shout.

“WHERE IS SHE? WHERE’D YOU PUT HER? ADDIE **!** GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!”

Two guns got unholstered, and Dan, Chloe, and Lucifer went out into the hallway to see what was going on. They were greeted by the sight of an unkempt, skinny man, about twenty five years old with stringy brown hair. He was wearing a faded Nirvana Tshirt and ragged, faded jeans.

“Well,” said Lucifer, “To what do we owe this ill-timed interruption?”

“WHERE’S ADDIE?” the belligerent man yelled again. “YOU CAN’T KEEP HER FROM ME!”

“I’m assuming you are referring to Addison Bailey, my bookkeeper, Mr.-?”

“Henderson. I need to talk to her NOW.”

“Mr. Henderson,” Lucifer said smoothly, “Addison isn’t due here until 10:00. Until then, her time is her own.”

“You’re lying, man,” Nathan continued, “Her car is out back where that yellow crime scene tape is. She’s here.”

“First of all, Mr. Henderson, I never lie. Point of pride with me. Secondly, Addison’s work day begins at 10:00. She isn’t in the building.”

“HER CAR IS HERE **.** CUT THE BULLSHIT!”

“Her car may very well be outside, but Addison is not in the building.”

“She’s here, and I’m GOING TO talk to her. ADDIE **!** She’s going to pay for this!”

“Oh is she now?” sneered Lucifer, “And how, exactly is she going to pay?”

“That’s none of your business, asshole. She’s disrespecting me. Bitch is gonna pay!”

Before Chloe or Dan could react, Lucifer had grabbed the young man by the throat, and was holding him up against the wall, his feet dangling uselessly. Eyes glowing red, Lucifer practically snarled at Nathan, “That bitch has a name. Addison Bailey. She is my bookkeeper, my friend, and I respect her. Moreover, YOU will respect her. YOU will respect ANY woman who walks into this establishment. Do. I. Make. Myself. CLEAR?”

“Put me down, you freak!”

“DO **I**. MAKE **.** MYSELF **.** CLEAR **?** ” Lucifer bellowed.

“Lucifer,” Chloe said quietly, “Put him down.” [no reaction] “Lucifer, you don’t want to do this.” [no reaction] “Lucifer, please!”

Lucifer released his grasp. Immediately, Nathan slid to the floor, then recovered immediately and punched Lucifer in the face. “I’m gonna kill you, man!”

In a blink of an eye, Dan had grabbed Nathan and pinned him to the wall. Click. Click. Daniel Espinosa, fastest cuffs in the west.

“Okay, pal, now you’re coming with me,” Dan said. “Hey, Chlo-, can you finish up getting Lucifer’s statement while I take care of this?”

“Yeah yeah, Dan, no problem,” Chloe replied. Chloe and Lucifer stood in silence as they heard Dan’s voice trailing off down the hall. “...to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you…”

Chloe turned to Lucifer. “Lucifer, are you okay?”

“Yes, of course, Detective. Fine.”

“Lucifer, what you did right now-”

“Was reckless? Uncalled for?” he said, angrily, “We’ve been over this a thousand times before, Detective. I’m the devil. I punish evil. I’m a monster.”

On that note, Lucifer turned and stormed back into his office. Chloe took a breath, and followed him, thinking about how caring and compassionate he had just been to Addie, and how proud she was of him. Hot tempered? Yes. Generous? Yes. Selfless? He DID return to Hell to keep her and the rest of humanity safe.

She found Lucifer seated at his desk. Walking over to him, Chloe placed a hand on his cheek. “You are the devil,” she said softly, kissing his other cheek, “But you really suck at being a monster.”


End file.
